[Note: Even though the researchers didn’t include a really medical sounding option (such as myalgic encephalomyelitis) in comparing attitudes toward names for ME/CFS, they still found that the name, especially one suggesting a mental cause, strongly shapes attitudes.]

Abstract:Objective: To investigate how primary care patients interpret the existing terminology used to describe medically unexplained symptoms; to contribute to the current academic discussion on unequivocal terminology.

Design: Descriptive cohort study.

Methods: We approached patients in the waiting rooms of two general medical practices in the city of Groningen and in the province of Drenthe.

Based on a fictitious case, the patients were asked to assign connotations to a number of possible diagnoses for medically unexplained tiredness.

The patients could choose from seven predetermined connotations. Among the diagnoses for medically unexplained tiredness were:

• 'Functional fatigue',

• 'Chronic fatigue syndrome',

• 'Psychosomatic tiredness',

• And 'medically unexplained tiredness'.

From the seven connotations, we labeled three connotations as being negative.

When patients gave at least one negative connotation to a possible diagnosis, the diagnosis was labeled as 'offensive'.

Results: A total of 184 patients participated in the study.

From the alternative diagnoses for medically unexplained tiredness, 'psychosomatic tiredness' had the most negative connotations: at least one negative connotation for 65 (35%) patients.